Southwest Desert Flora

Scientific Name: Sarcostemma cynanchoides
Common Name: Fringed Twinevine
Also Called: Climbing Milkweed Vine, Twine-vine
Family: Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family
Synonyms: (Funastrum cynanchoides, Funastrum cynanchoides subsp. cynanchoides, Funastrum cynanchoides var. cynanchoides, Funastrum cynanchoides var. subtruncatum)
Status: Native
Duration: Perennial
Size: 10 feet or more.
Growth Form: Forb/herb, vine; climbing or clambering over bushes, along ditches and on fences in open areas, oozes milky sap when bruised or injured.
Leaves: Green; sparsely pubescent, milky sap, leaf shape variable, narrow, lanceolate and pointed with enlarged diverging lobes at base (hastate)
Flower Color: White, whitish, pinkish or purplish with purple streaking; flowers with 5 star-like appendages, flowers in clusters, flowering stems umbel-like in axils, fruit is fusiform with pointed tip.
Flowering Season: May to September.
Elevation: 1,500 to 4,500 feet.

Habitat Preferences: Dry streams and washes, sandy areas, climbing over shrubs and small trees, in cultivated areas often densely matted along fences.

Recorded Range: In the United States in the southwest: CA, UT, NV, AZ, NM, TX, OK and AR, and in Baja California and northern Mexico. In Arizona Fringed Twinevine is found throughout the state but absent or few records in Apache and eastern Graham Counties.

North America & US County Distribution Map for Sarcostemma cynanchoides (=Funastrum cynanchoides subsp. cynanchoides) .

U.S. Weed Information: No data available
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: No data available
Wetland Indicator: Sarcostemma cynanchoides is included on the USDA 2012 National Wetland Plant List.
Threatened/Endangered Information: No data available

Genus Information: 5 species in Funastrum (=Sarcostemma) all native to the southwestern states, 4 species found in AZ.

2 subspecies in Funastrum cynanchoides; Funastrum cynanchoides ssp. cynanchoides, Fringed Twinevine is found in AZ, NM, TX, OK and AR; and Funastrum cynanchoides ssp. heterophyllum, Hartweg’s Twinevine is found in CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM and TX

Comments: Fringed Twinevine is found throughout most of Arizona and there are 2 subspecies in the state. This plant may be used in desert landscape themes with its attractive flowers that readily attract butterflies. It is host to the Monarch and Queen butterflies. Leaf shape is variable from very narrow or lanceolate to heart-shaped or chordate.

Arizona has several similar and closely related species of Sarcostemma.